Cuomo, being the champion he is, was in DC today...

quote:The challenge, Cuomo described after his meetings, is that some write off New York as a place that can make do on its own. With a tragedy like Sandy, which caused billions of dollars in damage to his state alone, even a place like New York could use some assistance.

"We need help on this. These are big, big numbers," Cuomo told reporters, echoing what he had told lawmakers whose blessing he needed to receive the aide on behalf of his state. "We can't do this on our budget alone. As a government, we can't ask the people of New York to figure it out, because they can't. You have people whose lives have been turned upside down and they don't have the resources to make this situation right on its own."

A convincing argument, however, doesn't always get you very far in Washington. Some Republicans say that in order for states to receive aid, offsetting cuts in the federal budget must be made elsewhere, which was a primary reason Cuomo took time to meet with Republican House Speaker John Boehner.

"The Speaker is committed to making this work," said New York Rep. Peter King, a Republican who joined Cuomo during the meeting with Boehner. "To do what has to be done."

Without revealing specific details, Cuomo described the meeting with Boehner as "positive," and that the Speaker is waiting from a proposal from the White House before taking more steps on the plan.

"We're trying to cooperate--collaborate our politics, if you will," Cuomo said of working with Republicans.